Licence news stuns balloonists

AMY JACKMAN

Last updated 05:00 25/02/2013

Balloon pilot Lance Hopping.

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The revelation that Carterton balloon crash pilot Lance Hopping did not have a current medical certificate has come as a shock to the national ballooning association, which used him as a safety officer at its events.

A damning report by the Civil Aviation Authority, released to Fairfax Media under the Official Information Act, showed Mr Hopping's medical certificate expired about six weeks before the fatal flight.

At 7.22am on January 7 last year, the balloon burst into flames after hitting a power line, then crashed into a paddock just north of Carterton, killing Mr Hopping, 53, and his 10 passengers, including two who jumped or fell from the basket.

Pilots must have a current class one medical certificate to fly commercial aircraft. The Civil Aviation Act specifies that a class one certificate must be renewed every six months for commercial pilots aged over 40.

Balloon Aviation Association president Martyn Stacey said he was shocked that Mr Hopping's licence was not current.

"I've known Lance for 15 years.

"We've used him as a safety officer at balloon fiestas and he's always been very proactive about safety," he said.

"He's usually the guy who is pushing and saying these guys are slightly out of the rules, they haven't done this or that.

"But the simple thing is, if he hadn't got a class one medical certificate, then he shouldn't have been flying in a single-pilot commercial operation."

However, he would still have been allowed to fly privately or with another pilot. "He would still have had a class two medical certificate, so he is still capable of flying an aircraft. He was just not allowed to fly a commercial aircraft."

Not having a licence also did not mean Mr Hopping was not healthy, Mr Stacey said. "He hadn't actually failed it, he just hadn't renewed it.

"He may have gone on the Monday and got his certificate; we just don't know. It's a big question mark."

Mr Stacey said improved rules now meant such incidents were unlikely to occur again.

"A new rule [introduced in May 2012] means every aviation adventure tourism operator has to have an exposition in with the CAA and get vetted by the CAA.